Mums-to-be
in Sheffield are being shown how much extra
money they could have to spend on their
new baby, family and themselves if they
give up smoking during pregnancy.
The new campaign
of ‘ready reckoners’, run by
Sheffield NHS Stop Smoking Service’s
specialist midwives, aims to help pregnant
women and their families stop smoking by
giving them examples of things they could
buy for themselves and the new baby with
the money saved.
For instance, a woman
who gives up smoking 20 cigarettes a day,
will in one year save £1635.60 –
more than enough money for a two year supply
of nappies. A couple who smoke 60 cigarettes
a day between them would save approximately
£4900 if they quit – enough
to buy a nearly-new small family car!
Midwife Pam Hancock,
who works for the Sheffield NHS Stop Smoking
Service said: “People often don’t
realise just how much money they spend on
cigarettes. A couple who both smoke heavily
can spend up to £400 per month on
cigarettes, but if they gave up they would
have this money to spend on their new arrival,
or even to treat themselves”.
One Sheffield couple
who successfully gave up smoking are John
Alflat and Bianca Veldhuizen, from Shirecliffe.
As soon as Bianca found she was pregnant,
the couple who were smoking between 30 and
40 cigarettes a day each, decided that they
both wanted to quit for the sake of their
baby. The couple went to see their GP who
referred them to Pam Hancock. Pam worked
closely with the couple to help them stop
smoking. Bianca and John, now proud parents
of 14 week-old son Yoran, haven’t
touched a cigarette since.
John said: “Giving
up smoking was the best thing Bianca and
I could have done for Yoran. It was hard
work but we helped each other through the
cravings, and now we have the extra cash,
which we are spending on putting in garden
fences for when Yoran is old enough to play
outside. We can now afford to go and see
Bianca’s family in the Netherlands
too. It’s just great to have that
extra bit of money to save for the future.”
Pam and her colleague
Jane Grice offer a free, specialist service
to pregnant women and their families in
Sheffield who want to give up smoking. They
hope that highlighting the financial benefits
of quitting will help more mums-to-be give
up by thinking of the cost to the pocket
as well as to their health.
Pam said: “Giving
up smoking during pregnancy is one of the
best things a woman can do for her unborn
child. Stopping smoking will reduce the
risk of miscarriage or infant death, and
can add an extra five points to their baby’s
IQ. It’s also important for partners,
husbands and family members to give up smoking
if there’s a baby on the way.”
Pregnant women
who would like help giving up smoking from
Pam or Jane should call the NHS Stop Smoking
Service free on 0800 068 4490, or talk to
their GP or midwife for more information.
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